Biomedical research is requiring more specialised equipment expressly suited for the new demands of burgeoning new fields such as large scale proteomics, which require more automated, parallel processing of complex protocols to be accomplished in reasonable time limits. Proteomics, for example, generally involves the systematic separation, identification and characterization of the proteins present in an given sample of tissue or biological fluid at a given time.
Certain processes in proteomics research are currently very time consuming, require individual sample preparation, and do not lend themselves to accurate reproducibility. As more research laboratories are taking on a proteomics approach, there is increasing demand for scaling-up traditionally used bench methodology by implementing robotic systems capable of high-throughput preparation and experimentation processing.
Electron microscopy is often required in proteomics research, especially as proteomics has evolved from a whole cell based approach to an organellar based approach. Using an electron microscope for identification and verification of sub-cellular and protein targets, requires the careful preparation of cell fraction samples to be studied. Electron microscopy is required to validate the purity of the cell fraction sample preparations by morphometry, and to confirm the localization of proteins within isolated organelles.
The currently employed approach for the preparation of cell fraction samples for electron microscopy involves a time consuming, manual methodology including using a filtration apparatus to deposit the sample onto a filtration membrane, and subsequently exposing the sample to a complex protocol of chemical treatments. Cell fraction samples prepared in this way for electron microscopy must be individually prepared, and take approximately 4 days per sample to complete. This process is overly time and labor consuming, and renders any high-throughput processing of samples impossible. FIG. 1 shows an electron micrograph image of such a prepared sample. The scale line represents 240 nanometers.
WO 00/72968 published Dec. 7, 2000, discloses a multiple fluid sample processor and system capable of high through put combinatorial processes, chemical synthesis and diagnostic arrays, and biological assays and processing. A multi-layered fluidic array comprises a plurality of micro-sized reservoirs and interconnecting channels. A pressure or vacuum pumping system is used for fluid delivery and removal. The device can include an upper reservoir layer, a center distribution plate, and a lower well plate, all of which are stacked vertically and can be releasably coupled together. The bottom plate containing the samples process through the other layers, is detachable from the other plates, and conveyed to another location for subsequent processing of the samples. This is preferably done by robotic or other automated means.